A device for operatively connecting an engine starter to an engine where the engine includes an engine crankshaft and the engine starter has a starter shaft with a length and a worm, or worm screw, of a worm drive spaced radially from the starter adapter shaft and within the length of the shaft is described herein. The device compromises a worm gear assembly as operatively attached to the starter adapter shaft. The a worm gear assembly includes a worm gear, or worm wheel, positioned to engage the worm and an overrunning clutch positioned radially between the worm gear and the starter adapter shaft and operatively engaging the starter adapter shaft.

A system and method are provided for hybrid electric internal combustion engine applications in which a motor-generator, a narrow switchable coupling and a torque transfer unit therebetween are arranged and positioned in the constrained environment at the front of an engine in applications such as commercial vehicles, off-road vehicles and stationary engine installations. The motor-generator is preferably positioned laterally offset from the switchable coupling, which is co-axially-arranged with the front end of the engine crankshaft. The switchable coupling is an integrated unit in which a crankshaft vibration damper, an engine accessory drive pulley and a disengageable clutch overlap such that the axial depth of the clutch-pulley-damper unit is nearly the same as a conventional belt drive pulley and engine damper. The front end motor-generator system includes an electrical energy store that receives electrical energy generated by the motor-generator when the coupling is engaged. When the coupling is disengaged, the motor-generator may drive the pulley portion of the clutch-pulley-damper to drive the engine accessories using energy returned from the energy store, independent of the engine crankshaft.

A starter apparatus is provided for starting a combustion engine of a hybrid vehicle, wherein an energy accumulator, a switching element for optionally coupling the energy accumulator with the combustion engine and a drive unit for driving the energy accumulator and for actuating the switching element. Also claimed is a drive train with the proposed starter apparatus.

A system and method are provided for hybrid electric internal combustion engine applications. A motor-generator, a narrow switchable coupling and a torque transfer unit are arranged in the constrained environment at the front of an engine. The motor-generator is preferably laterally offset from the switchable coupling, which is co-axially-arranged with the engine crankshaft. The switchable coupling is an integrated unit in which a crankshaft vibration damper, an engine accessory drive pulley and a disengageable clutch overlap such that the axial depth of the clutch-pulley-damper unit is nearly the same as a conventional belt drive pulley and engine damper. The front end motor-generator system includes an electrical energy store that receives electrical energy generated when the coupling is engaged. When the coupling is disengaged, the motor-generator may drive the pulley portion of the clutch-pulley-damper to drive the engine accessories using energy from the energy store, independent of the engine crankshaft.

A starting system for a vehicle including an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft includes a pinion gear driven by a starter motor. A drive plate includes a set of teeth in constant meshed engagement with the pinion gear. A one-way clutch assembly is adapted to drivingly interconnect the drive plate and the crankshaft. The clutch assembly includes an inner race adapted to be fixed for rotation with the crankshaft, an outer race fixed for rotation with the drive plate, and a plurality of rollers positioned radially therebetween. One of the inner and outer races includes circumferentially spaced apart cam surfaces. The clutch assembly also includes a cage for positioning the rollers in a circumferentially spaced apart alignment with the cam surfaces and a roller bearing assembly positioned axially offset from the one-way clutch rollers to rotatably support the outer race on the inner race.

A system and method are provided for hybrid electric internal combustion engine applications. A motor-generator, a narrow switchable coupling and a torque transfer unit are arranged in the constrained environment at the front of an engine. The motor-generator is preferably laterally offset from the switchable coupling, which is co-axially-arranged with the engine crankshaft. The switchable coupling is an integrated unit in which a crankshaft vibration damper, an engine accessory drive pulley and a disengageable clutch overlap such that the axial depth of the clutch-pulley-damper unit is nearly the same as a conventional belt drive pulley and engine damper. The front end motor-generator system includes an electrical energy store that receives electrical energy generated when the coupling is engaged. When the coupling is disengaged, the motor-generator may drive the pulley portion of the clutch-pulley-damper to drive the engine accessories using energy from the energy store, independent of the engine crankshaft.

A system and method are provided for hybrid electric internal combustion engine applications in which a motor-generator, a narrow switchable coupling and a torque transfer unit therebetween are arranged and positioned in the constrained environment at the front of an engine in applications such as commercial vehicles, off-road vehicles and stationary engine installations. The motor-generator is preferably positioned laterally offset from the switchable coupling, which is co-axially-arranged with the front end of the engine crankshaft. The switchable coupling is an integrated unit in which a crankshaft vibration damper, an engine accessory drive pulley and a disengageable clutch overlap such that the axial depth of the clutch-pulley-damper unit is nearly the same as a conventional belt drive pulley and engine damper. The front end motor-generator system includes an electrical energy store that receives electrical energy generated by the motor-generator when the coupling is engaged. When the coupling is disengaged, the motor-generator may drive the pulley portion of the clutch-pulley-damper to drive the engine accessories using energy returned from the energy store, independent of the engine crankshaft.

The present invention relates to a freewheel (4) comprising a first race (38), a second race (40), a clamping gap (46) designed between the first and second race (38, 40), at least one clamping element (48) in the clamping gap (46), and biasing means (64) for biasing the clamping element (48) into a clamping position within the clamping gap (46), wherein the biasing means (64) have an accordion spring (66), which is supported directly or indirectly on the first race (38) and which comprises corrugation peaks (70) lying radially outward, corrugation troughs (72) lying radially inward, and a support leg (76) for direct or indirect support on the clamping element (48). The biasing means (64) have a spring support element (80) on which at least one of the corrugation peaks (70) is supported or supportable outwardly in radial direction (20) and/or at least one of the corrugation troughs (72) is supported or supportable inwardly in radial direction (22). In addition, the present invention relates to a freewheel arrangement (2) comprising such a freewheel (4).

The power transmission apparatus may include a battery, a motor generator that is switchable between a driving state and a power generation state, at least a load, an inverter to switch the motor generator to any of the driving state and the power generation state, a charging state detecting means to detect a charged amount C of the battery, an absorbing horsepower detecting means to detect the absorbing horsepower Lp of the load, and a control device to switch the motor generator to any of the power generation state and the driving state by means of the inverter, based on the absorbing horsepower Lp detected by the absorbing horsepower detecting means and the charged amount C of the battery that is detected by the charging state detecting means.